Erasing Fears & Traumas Based on the Modern Neuroscience of Fear

In this episode, I discuss fear and trauma, including the neural circuits involved in the "threat reflex" and how specific experiences and memories come to activate that system. I also discuss how our body is involved in trauma and fear. First, I describe the logic of fear mechanisms and how "top-down" processing-- meaning connections from the parts of the brain that assign meaning to our feelings, are involved in fear and erasing fears and traumas. Then I discuss what successful fear and trauma treatment must include and consider various treatments for whether they meet that standard, such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, other drug-assisted therapies, and more. I also review new data on how 5 minutes per day of deliberate, self-imposed stress can erase fear and depression. And I review the role that social connection plays in erasing or maintaining fears by activating specific molecular pathways in the brain and body. Finally, I review supplementation with over-the-counter compounds for their effects on anxiety and fear and when to take them, if at all. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Fear, Trauma & Trauma 00:02:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:06:49 What is Fear? 00:11:45 Autonomic Arousal: “Alertness” vs. “Calmness” 00:13:44 Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis) 00:17:36 “The Threat Reflex”: Neural Circuits for Fear 00:28:24 Controlling Fear: Top-Down Processing 00:32:27 Narratives: “Protective or Dangerous” 00:35:58 Attaching Fear to Events: Classical Conditioning & Memory 00:41:45 How Fear Learning Occurs: Long Term Potentiation, NMDA 00:46:10 Extinguishing (Reducing) Fears 00:50:25 Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear 00:57:56 Repetition of Narrative, Overwriting Bad Experiences with Good 01:05:28 EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing 01:14:00 Social Connection & Isolation Are Chemically Powerful 01:18:23 Trans-Generational Trauma 01:25:00 PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, Oxytocin 01:39:25 How Do You Know If You Are Traumatized? 01:46:16 Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma 01:49:50 Erasing Fears & Traumas in 5 Minutes Per Day 01:59:42 Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma 02:02:30 Supplements for Anxiety, Fear: Saffron, Inositol, Kava 02:10:00 Synthesis 02:11:46 Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices